4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[redfrock]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a mouse scuttle down the outside of our walk in run. A couple of days after that I watched in horror as the chickens played tag with one On Tuesday we were stunned when the cat walked in with a live one and deposited it as a present at our feet (in his 10 years he has only caught something once to my knowledge). Last night at 4am he brought us another. Andy promptly put it outside. Two minutes later we heard the cat flap go. Andy followed him and he was sat in the same place on the corner of the run as I had seen the mouse go that day.

 

We appear to have a problem. They are definitely field mice. The thing is I am paranoid that if the neighbours start to have them then of course the blame will fall quite squarely on our shoulders. It is no surprise we have them because we back onto a bridle path that backs onto a playing field/cricket pitch.

 

Are humane traps the answer? I point blank refuse to use poison because of the potential risk to cat and chickens if nothing else.

 

Help!

Edited July 10, 2008 by Guest

[Christian]

We have the odd field mouse in the run, but the chickens catch them and eat them

 

If you bring the food in at night, they are less likely to come back. I feed my chickens layers mash which is messier. I now keep a seed tray under the grub feeders to collect the spillage and haven't seen a mouse for a few weeks.

 

If you use a humane trap you have to release it miles away and I'm sure someone posted about not being allowed to release mice??

 

You could use the old fashioned mouse trap which would get rid of them permanently. Put it inside an upturned plant pot with a hole cut in it. Bait with peanut butter......

[Egluntyne]

You have to take them some distance to release them, as they have strong instincts for home.

 

Bait boxes are safe. as they are locked, and neither the cat nor the chickens will get at the poison.

 

**Eradibait** only affects rodents, so the cat and hens won't be affected by it.

 

You may have a long job on if you try to catch and release all your fieldmice, as there will be a large number of them. They will breed faster than you can catch them.

 

Good luck.

[redfrock]

One of the problems is that Andy is such a sensitive soul that he cannot bear to kill anything. Even the cat bringing them in live upsets him because he is worried they will not survive the shock - so that is the main reason that I cannot use (safe) poison / proper traps.

 

There are plenty of wild areas around us so we can easily drive several miles and release them in woods.

 

What are the chances of the neighbours having problems because of us?

Edited July 10, 2008 by Guest

[Christian]

Difficult one, as Egluntine says, they breed like mice!

 

Bringing the food in is your best bet. Field mice are harmless outside the house. If you have fields near you, the neighbours can't really complain can they?? Just deny all knowledge if they ask you

[Egluntyne]

What are the chances of the neighbours having problems because of us?

Slim I should think as they are coming to you.

 

If the neighbours complain, point out that the clue is in the name....FIELD mice.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I wouldn't have thought they could really complain - different if it was rats .

[JamesH]

If they have ever had mice in the house they will complain. Once a mouse starts opening your rich tea biscuits you start to see them in a different light.

[Chicken Lady]

I wouldn't worry so much.

 

You have a cat who has clearly identified where their main run-along path is and since he's now discovered his hidden mouse-catching talent he won't let them alone until he's killed the lot. End of mouse problem.

 

You'll probably find they'll come back again - we have an intermittent mouse problem but the moment our cat finds out where they are they're toast.

 

Now rats... that's another story...

[Nutmeg]

I would echo Chicken Lady's comments about your cat.

 

Our ginger boy is 10, sleeps all day, but at night he is an excellent hunter, the only problem is he brings them live into the house through his cat flap and then promptly loses interest!

 

We back onto woodland and he has definately kept the mouse population under control and also rats!

 

Don't worry about your neighbours, tell them your cat has it all under control.

[Phosphorus]

We have much the same at the moment. Our Burmese never used to go out at night and never caught a thing that we knew of, bird or mouse. In the last few weeks she has caught 3 mice - not really near the run though, but it is a new thing for her! Unfortunately she brings them in and then drops them to play with - they normally then run and hide in a corner somewhere and she loses interest. We then have to find them and put them out of the house

[obeque]

Cats are incredible hunters of mice even our three legged cat catches them so a fully functional cat will have no problems just give your cat time and the problem will go away